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BBS: The Documentary Archive

Jason Scott (TEXTFILES.COM)

The BBS Documentary Video Collection is a varied set of video items collected by Jason Scott, curator of TEXTFILES.COM. These are recordings about and from the era of the domination of ASCII and Dial-up Bulletin Board Systems (roughly the 1970s through the 1990s, with examples far before and after that).



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BBS: The Documentary Archive
by Jason Scott Sadofsky
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Deth Veggie has been a close friend for over a decade, and his position in the Cult of the Dead Cow came around in the early years of knowing him. Founded in 1985, the group went from textfile-writing to world-wide media mavens to security pundits. Along the way, they found themselves in a great and unique position as "hacker celebrities". As the image grew somewhere out of control, I knew many of the members as friends, and saw both sides of the story. This interview has a unique...
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
by Jason Scott Sadofsky
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Interview with John Sheetz for BBS: The Documentary. Conducted on March 22nd, 2003 in New Providence, New Jersey. Discussions center around teletype art and the use of Ham Radio to transfer text-based images. Techniques in creating RTTY art, the process of transferring artwork over Ham Radio, and some occasional copyright issues are all covered. Speculations on the future of the art, as well as what other skills Mr. Sheetz picked up in the medium. Sadly, Mr. Sheetz passed away in January of...
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Topics: bbs, documentary, sheetz
BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS Documentary Interview: Jeff Keegan
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
by Jason Scott
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Recorded as part of the BBS Documentary production, this is a collection of edited clips that were used in some way in the final documentary, now presented in contextual form. The general theme of the clips are references to FidoNet or FidoNet-related subjects. These clips are provided for historical value and have not been checked for accuracy or sourcing. The statements and descriptions of statements were done at the time of editing in 2004 and should be considered first-draft filenames that...
BBS: The Documentary Archive
by Jason Scott Sadofsky
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Interview with b0b lee, maintainer of the Steel Guitar Forum (http://steelguitarforum.com) and creator of the b0badel BBS software package. Conducted in Cloverdale, California on May 31, 2003. I was woken that morning in a hotel in the middle of Cloverdale with the news of the birth of my cousin's daughter, Rhiannon Marie. Interview subjects include the first time b0b encountered BBSes, real life meetings of BBS users, the unique experience of using BBSes, the b0badel software (and comparison...
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Topics: bbs, documentary, b0b, lee, citadel
BBS: The Documentary Archive
by Jason Scott
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Recorded as part of the BBS Documentary production, this is a collection of edited clips that were used in some way in the final documentary, now presented in contextual form. This set of clips are unused or barely-used clips that lasted a long time in the editing timeline until being cut during the last rounds. These clips are provided for historical value and have not been checked for accuracy or sourcing. The statements and descriptions of statements were done at the time of editing in 2004...
BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS Documentary Interview: Mark Herring Mark Steven Herring, age 60 of Bethpage, passed away Monday, April 27, 2020.  Mr. Herring was born December 17, 1959 in Memphis to the late Robert Edward Herring, Jr. and Loda Maud Matthews Herring.  He is survived by daughters, Corinna Herring Fitch (John) of LaVergne, Casey Danielle Monroe (Johnathan) of Collinwood, TN, and Katie Edwards Hooge  (Robert Gregory) of Gallatin; brothers, Robert Edward Herring III (Vanessa) of Memphis and Philip Brian...
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS Documentary Interview: Curt Vendel
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
by eSoft, Inc.
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From the collection of Rev. Michael Chowning. This tape is an introduction the TBBS bulletin board software, hosted by Phil Becker and Alan D. Bryant. In this 43 minute tape, you are introduced to the basic ideas behind TBBS, usage of the software, setting up modems and menus, and other related tasks. Becker and Bryant demonstrate all the related concepts clearly and cleanly. Original format was VHS tape, and meant to be included with the 1993 releases of TBBS. Portions of the beginning of this...
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Topic: bbs,documentary,tbbs,esoft,bryant,becker
BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS Documentary Interview: Ward Christensen
BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS Documentary Interview: John Hedtke
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
by Jason Scott Sadofsky
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Interview with Ebony Eyes, ANSI artist from the late 1980s, for the BBS Documentary. Conducted on April 26, 2004. The last interview conducted for the BBS Documentary, a few days after the end of Notacon. Conducted with the assistance of RaD Man of ACiD. Subjects covered included working in the ANSI art form, favorite programs for drawing, WWIVnet and politics involved in it, and perspectives on the later ANSI Art Scene of the 1990s.
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Topics: bbs, documentary, ebony eyes, ansi
BBS: The Documentary Archive
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Interview of Ken Kaplan, Ben Baker, and Ryugen Fisher (That Old Frog)in St. Louis Missouri, January of 2004. Hour 1 (of 3). Discussion of Fidonet politics, internal issues, triumphs of engineering, influence of Fidonet. Covers some parts of the ARC-ZIP battle, as well as why the various interviewees ultimately left the project. Shot in the same living room in which Fidonet's main implementation was created, at Ken Kaplan's house. The interview began with just Ken Kaplan and Ben Baker, and...
Topics: bbs, bbsdocumentary, interview, ryugen, fisher, ben, baker, ken, kaplan, fidonet
BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS Documentary Interview: Robert A. Fowkes
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS Documentary Interview: Alan Aspuru-Guzik (n0pal)
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
by Jason Scott Sadofsky
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Interview with Minor Threat, conducted in Austin, Texas, on January 30th, 2004. Minor Threat is most known as the creator and co-author of Tone Loc, a "wardialer" program that would connect to thousands of phones looking for carriers, voices, and other surprises in a phone exchange. However, this interview mostly focuses on his memories of both PD (public domain) BBSes and hacking BBSes; a section in the middle focuses on Tone Loc and the challenges associated with the program. The...
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Topics: bbs, documentary, minor threat
BBS: The Documentary Archive
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Charles Alton Forsberg date of birth May 6 1944 date of death September 24 2015 Charles Alton "Chuck" Forsberg Chuck Forsberg died on September 24, 2015, in Portland, Oregon. He was 71. Chuck was a man of many accomplishments. He exhibited a multi-faceted persona that friends, family, loved ones and even Chuck would acknowledge, was at times quirky and contradictory. Chuck Forsberg was: An intellectual genius, who always seeded his ideas, accomplishments and creations with a stiff...
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS Documentary Interview: Dorsai Embassy Staff
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BBS Documentary Interview: Victor and Marian Volkman
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BBS Documentary Interview: Frank Segler (The Freeze)
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS Documentary Interview: Jayne
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BBS Documentary Interview: Uncensored Citadel
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS Documentary Interview: Shaggy/Metalhead [iCE]
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
by Jason Scott Sadofsky
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Interview with Ryan Brown (alias Zendo) in Mountain View California, on May 22, 2003. Camera shifts a couple times, trying different angles. Subjects covered include running a BBS at a very young age, getting to know people only online, winning an award for running a BBS, as well as discussions about ANSI art and using various BBS software. Excellent back and forth between interviewer and interviewee.
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Topics: bbs, documentary, brown
BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS Documentary Interview: Joe Russack (Dr. Strangelove)
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BBS Documentary Interview: Stephen Jones (SDF Public Access UNIX)
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
by Jason Scott Sadofsky
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Interview with Milky Puppy and Liz, BBS users, in Toronto, Ontario on May 25, 2002. Subjects covered included early BBS use in Chicago and Toronto, various BBSes run by Milky and their unique themes, the YIP group, BBS Meets, co-sysop and sysop duties, Atari and Macintosh platforms, and points of pride or highlights from BBSes. This interview was conducted towards the beginning of the film cycle, when I had more of a "conversational" style to the interviews, meaning I am a notable...
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BBS Documentary Interview: Anthony J. Kay and Lyndon Payne
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS Documentary Interview: Bob Whiston
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS Documentary Interview: Phillip Heller
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS Documentary Interview: Maury Markowitz
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
by Jason Scott Sadofsky
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Interview with Bruce Fancher, Dead Lord of Legion of Doom (LOD) and co-founder of the MindVox bulletin board and internet service provider, conducted on October 13, 2002 in New York City. Topics include TAP meetings, connecting to different bulletin boards, busts, the operations and internals of MindVox, hacker ethics and motivation, and opinions and thoughts about the mid 1990s explosion of interest in internet and politics. Some noise reduction is in place, and the interview was conducted...
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Topics: bbs, bruce, fancher, documentary
BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS Documentary Interview: Ian Underwood
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS Documentary Interview: ANSI Summit
BBS: The Documentary Archive
by Jason Scott Sadofsky
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Interview with Mark Nasstrom for BBS: The Documentary. Conducted on May 24th, 2003 in Seal Rock, Oregon. Discussions include running election results through BBSes, communication issues in sparsely populated areas, and Boardwatch magazine.
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Topics: bbs, documentary, nasstrom
BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS Documentary Interview: Necromancer (ACiD)
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS Documentary Interview: Ken Spence and James MacFarlane
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS Documentary Interview: Steve Catmull and David W. Terry
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BBS Documentary Interview: Wayne Bell
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS Documentary Interview: RaD Man/ACiD
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS Documentary Interview: Bootleg
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BBS Documentary Interview: Chet Lawrence
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS Documentary Interview: Chicago BBS Users Meetup
BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS Documentary Interview: The Mentor
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BBS Documentary Interview: Lord Soth (Slothy) [iCE]
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS Documentary Interview: Matt Rowland
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS Documentary Interview: Dr. Trevor Marshall
BBS: The Documentary Archive
by Jason Scott Sadofsky
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When I set out on this whole "BBS Documentary" project, it had been almost a decade since I had touched audiovisual equipment on this scale, and I'd certainly never tried a project as huge and involved as this one. I knew that whoever the first interview was was going to have to basically put up with delays, weird-acting equipment, and my own stumbling attempts to organize a good shot. To that end, I decided that this person should be someone I knew, someone familiar with being...
BBS: The Documentary Archive
by Mark Grennan
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From the collection of Mark Grennan, this collection of tapes includes presentations and discussions from the International Fidonet Association's 1987 Board Meeting, as well as the 1988 Board Meeting. It also has a number of presentations regarding FidoNet that were held at some Fidonet gatherings.
Topic: FidoNet Tapes
BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS Documentary Interview: Eric Greene
BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS Documentary Interview: Rick Siegel
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BBS Documentary Interview: Cliff Barber
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS Documentary Interview: Aron Insinga
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BBS Documentary Interview: Frank Vest
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BBS Documentary Interview: Greg Ryan
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
by Jason Scott Sadofsky
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Interview with Lynn Crumbling for BBS: The Documentary. Conducted on February 29, 2004 in York, Pennsylvania. Covered his early experiences with BBSes, his favorite boards, and influential figures in his early computing life that led him to his current career. Also a discussion about his favorite general computer memories.
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Topics: bbs, documentary, crumbling
BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS Documentary Interview: Nick Sklavounakis
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
by Jason Scott Sadofsky
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Interview with Rich Schinnell, conducted on February 29, 2004 in Rockville, Maryland, for the BBS Documentary. The interview centered around early IBM PC-compatible user groups and hardware of the 1982 period, including the early compaqs, IBMs, and the challenges of software and usage of them. Also discussed philosophy of sharing software, profiting from public domain software, tyrranical sysops, and PC-TALK/RBBS. There is one drop-out in the last third of the interview, a one-second loss of...
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Topic: bbs,documentary,schinnell
BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS Documentary Interview: Chris Rimple and Chuck Van Der Linden
BBS: The Documentary Archive
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BBS Documentary Interview: H2K2 Attendees
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BBS Documentary Interview: Phil Becker and Bob Hartman
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BBS Documentary Interview: Mark Grennan and Dave Drexler
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BBS Documentary Interview: Jerel Crosland
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BBS Documentary Interview: Shewolf, Deth Vaggie, Sister Mary Widow
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BBS Documentary Interview: Mike Romero
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BBS Documentary Interview: Dennis Cruise
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BBS: The Documentary Archive
by Jason Scott Sadofsky
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Interview with Milky Puppy and Liz, BBS users, in Toronto, Ontario on May 25, 2002. Subjects covered included early BBS use in Chicago and Toronto, various BBSes run by Milky and their unique themes, the YIP group, BBS Meets, co-sysop and sysop duties, Atari and Macintosh platforms, and points of pride or highlights from BBSes. This interview was conducted towards the beginning of the film cycle, when I had more of a "conversational" style to the interviews, meaning I am a notable...
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Topics: bbs, documentary, milky